The Boy In The Mirror

Eleven

"So," the boy began, his eyes searching his red playing cards in his hands. "If you don't mind me asking, which religion are you part of?"

The light was brighter than usual in the room of mirrors, a girl wearing black jeans and a white t-shirt sat opposite a boy with white jeans and a black t-shirt, they both were clutching in their fingers a couple of red playing cards. Both were concentrating so hard that you could have lit the house with their brainwaves. The girl studied her cards carefully, planning carefully whilst the boy was relaxed, he would look at his cards and then at the girl, trying to read her. The atmosphere was neither tense nor competitive, only a friendly aura roamed the room of mirrors.

"Religion?" her brown locks hung over her face when she looked down. "Isn't it fairly obvious?"

"Not with you, I know that you're parents are muslims," Jimin glanced at Hazeh. "But you seem to be a person who doesn't believe in things so easily, I'm not saying that any religion isn't real but-"

"I am a muslim, Jimin." She pushed her hair back in one stroke. "Always have been and always will be, but you are right in thinking that I don't believe in all things."

"You are quite peculiar aren't you?" Jimin grinned, placing a card down. "But you can believe I'm going to win this game."

"I very much doubt that," Hazeh smiled, placing her card down. "When was the last time you played with someone?"

"More time to practice, my dear." Jimin chuckled, before placing another card. "I've been waiting years and years to win to someone other than myself."

"Don't worry," she shuffled slightly and then too placed a card. "I'll make sure your waiting will be worth losing."

"You know," his eyes wandered. "Don't you think it's weird how we all live different lives? That we all have different, yet similar, feelings and emotions. We each have a story to tell, it's wonderful, yet strange, isn't it?"

"I'd rather not have an existential crisis today, thank you." Hazeh replied sharply, she rubbed the temple of her head. "It's better not to think about things that have no answers, you will only fall into a deep abyss of overwhelming  conspiracies that will only give you more questions than answers."

"I love to think about such things," Jimin looked over to Hazeh, how her dark brown eyes lit up when she had an idea, how her hair hung in curls other girls would kill for, how her dimples only showed when she smiled truly and how she always rested her chin on her hand were only a few things he had began to notice about her. "I mean, when you're stuck in a mirror all you can do is think."

"No, usually when I think I think too much." her eyes dimmed. "Too much thinking will usually make me re-think my entire life which can result with me wanting to die.."

"Why would you want to think that?" His nose scrunched up. "Can't you promise me you will never even consider taking your precious life? Who would I have to talk to? I'd be all alone again, as cheesy as it may sound, I need you."

"Not really," Hazeh returned to her cards. "If I died my parents would probably run away from their problems, like they always do, other people will move in here and you can just become friends with them instead."

"But I don't want to," Jimin pouted, watching Hazeh study her cards. "I love spending time with you, you're incredibly different to anyone else I've ever met! Wait, did you just say I am your friend?"

"No," Hazeh replied quickly. "Don't make assumptions, we are merely acquaintances."

"Hey!" Jimin laughed shortly. "How about you promise me here and now that as long as you live in this house you will not leave by death, please?"

"You're such a child." Hazeh looked up to Jimin's hard stare, in which she gulped. "Fine! Fine, I promise to not take my life as long as I live in this house, happy now?"

"Yep!" He jumped a little, smiling. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"How about you?" Hazeh asked, one of her eyebrows raised. "Shouldn't you promise me too? Who knows, you might vanish one day and I'll have to kill myself after all."

"No," Jimin scowled, his eyes returned to his cards. "Even if, miraculously, I leave then your promise is still intact. What do you want me to promise?"

"I want you to promise you won't leave me alone," she looked away from Jimin to her reflection on another mirror. "To not vanish into air without any explanation and to stay with me as long as I live."

"Sure," Jimin replied easily, moving his cards across his fingers. "But if you leave this house I won't be able to stay with you, you know that, right?"

"I'll just have to live here for the rest of my pitiful life then." Hazeh said, earning a chuckle from Jimin. "You'll have to watch me get wrinkles and turn old and ugly. I'll move so slowly you'll get tired of waiting and wander away, I'll always be ill and in bed. My memories will fade and maybe one night I forget you and this room exist."

"You say it as if it's the end of this week that you'll be in your eighties," Jimin placed his card down. "Let's hope time doesn't fly too quickly in this house, shall we?"

"I agree," Hazeh nodded, before placing her card. "I'm sure when you see me with my grey hair you'll wish you hadn't promised me that you'll stay here."

"I'll have to disagree with you there," he swapped a card and looked over to Hazeh. "I will never regret my promise with you, that's a promise."

"How many promises are you making today?" Hazeh laughed, placing her card. "I bet by tomorrow you will have already forgotten them."

"I doubt that very much," Jimin placed his card down slowly. "I keep all my promises."

"You promise?" Hazeh asked playfully, sneakily placing her card.

"I promise." Jimin replied firmly, throwing his card into the pile. "I won!"